Fertilizer-distributer.



J.-R. AYERS.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.I7. 1915.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l-v m O 4 a o 2 W 8 L 6 m 1 Q 93 INVENTOR JUZfiZ e 715cOLl MnIA PLANOQNAPH 60., WASHINGTON. n. C

J. R. A YERS. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED Auc.|7. m5.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPN $0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER- transit.

Original application filed. August 12, 1915, Serial No. 15,191.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. as, rare.

1915. Serial No. 45,993.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES R. AYERS, residingat Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fertilizer-Distributers, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention, which relates generally to machines fordistributing or sowing fertilizer, more particularly has reference tocertain features disclosed in my co-pending application for LettersPatent for improvements in guano sowers, Serial No. 45,191, filed August12, 1915, and of which application this application forms a divisionalpart.

My present invention primarily has for its object to providean improvedconstruction of guano sower in which is included, in connection with theusual type of coverer disks, for turning over the furrow after the seedis planted, a hoe or mixer member located between the fertilizer'dischargesof the hopper and the rear or coverer disks, which, under oneadjustment acts as a hoe or plow for loosening up the bottom of thefurrow and mixing the" fertilizer with the ground and under anotheradjustment, to which it is set when transporting the machine across thefield, is reversed and so positioned that it curves backward and becomesa skid or runner to carry the weight of the rear end of the machineandfor lifting the coverer disks above the ground.

Another object of my present invention is to provide, in a guano sowerof the general character stated, in combination with a ground wheel atthe forward end of the machine and a hopper having one or moredischarging passages in its bottom; means for rapidly agitating thefertilizer material within the hopper, at a point just above thedischarge passage or passages to effect the desired feed of the materialthrough the said passage or passages and other means for stirring up thebulk of the fertilizing material above the agitator, at a relativelyslow speed for breaking up possible bridging or clogging above theagitator means and for avoiding danger of heating the said material andrendering the said material sticky or pasty.

lVith other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the presentinvention embodies the peculiar features of construction and novelcombination of parts hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointedout in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Flgure l is a side elevation of so much of my complete improvedguano sower neces sary to illustrate the practical application of theparts constituting my present invention, the combined hoe and skidmechanism being shown at the normal or furrow loosen- 1ng position. Fig.2 is a like view of the said parts, the combined hoe and skid de vicesbeing shown in the reversed or skid position, with the covering disksout of the ground. Fig. 3 is a plan View partly in section of a portionof the hopper, the fertilizer agitating and the fertilizer stirringmeans. F ig. em a detail perspective view of the combined hoe and skiddevices. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the crank or eccentric connectionfor the pawls that actuate the ratchet gear on the stirrer shaft. Fig. 6is an end elevation of the clutch devices on the ground wheel axlehereinafter referred to. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the rackbar devices hereinafter referred to.

In carrying out my present invention, the framing ofthe machine ispreferably of six inch wooden boards'and includes two side members 1lthat extend the full length of the machine and upon which the hopperbody 2 is mounted, the sides of the latter being braced or clamped bycross bolt rods 3-3 and the handle members 4% that are secured in themanner clearly shown in the drawing.

5 designates a ground wheel located between the front ends of the sidepieces 11 and whose axle 6 journals in the metal brackets 7-7, pendentfrom the said side pieces, and the said axle, which is extended at oneend, carries a fixed clutch member 8, for engaging ,with the clutchportion 9 of a shiftable sprocket wheel 10 mounted on the axleextension, as isbest shown in Fig. 6, and which, in the completeconstruction of my present improved guano sower is adapted for beingengaged by the hand lever con trolled devices, such as are fullyillustrated and described in my co-pending application before referredto, and since the said clutch shifting devices form no part of mypresent invention, a further detailed description of the same in thisapplication is deemed unnecessary.

In my present invention, the hopper has a Divided and. this application'filed August 17, i

sheet iron bottom'll'provided with'one or more discharging apertures 11that are opened or closed by a metal'gate 12 that rides over the bottomof the said hopper,

vand is suitably mounted for operative enstated, that when sowing guano,particularly for peanut planting, to 'obtain the desired distribution ofthe fertilizer, the guano should befed relatively fast through thedischarge openings and hence the-agitator devices operating over thesaid openings must rotate at a relatively fast speed.

i In my present invention, the agitator devices are mounted to rotate inthe horizontal plane over the hopper passages, and one end of the shaft14 of the said agitator carries a sprocket gear 14 over which takes anendless sprocket chain 15; that takes over the sprocket wheel 10 fromwhich motion is imparted to theagitator, for driving the same at arelatively fast speed, it'b'eing understood that when the clutch devicesin the power transmission from the ground wheel axle are shifted tothrow out the wheel 10, no motion is imparted to the agitator andstirrer devices, which remain inert while transporting the machineacross the field.

In my present machine, the stirrer devices are mounted over the agitatordevices and comprise a rotary shaft 16 and radial beater ,or stirrerblades 17, and the said shaft 16 extends beyond thehopper at one end andcarries a ratchet wheel 16 with which engage a pair of oppositelydisposed pawls 18: 19, one of which acts as a push and. the other a pullpawl and they are mounted on an eccentric hub 20 held upon a stud '14:?that extends from the outer end of the'agitator shaft 14L (see Fig. 4)the several parts being cooperatively so combined that as the agitatorshaft rotates in the direction of the arrow 00, (Fig. 1) a slow rockingmovement is imparted to the two pawls 1 8 and 19, .which engaging theratchet disk on the stirrer shaft impart an intermittent, slowrotationto the said stirrer shaft, and in consequence imparts a relativelyslowrotation to the stirrerfrom the relatively fast motion'of theagitator shaft, the parts as shown in the drawings being soproportioned,that the speed reduction between the agitatorand thestirrer is on a ten to one ratio, the agitator making, as itwere, tencomplete rotations as the stirrer arms or blades make one completerotation through the fertilizer bulk, the movement of the stirrers beingsufficient to keep the fertilizer bulk loosened and in motion withoutdanger of heating it up and rendering, it sticky,

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, it will be noticedthat the combined mixer and skid means hereinbefore referred to,consists of a curved plow or hoelike foot member 22 that is rockablymounted on a stud bolt 23 that takes through the plow which, as also thecontrolling face of the said member 22, is serrated as at 2 1- to holdthe member 2-2 to its set positions.

Shank is fulcrumed on a stud bolt 25'- that takes through the lower endsof a pair of strap iron hangers 2626, that straddle the shank 25 andwhose upper ends are joined and made fast to each other by. a clamp boltShank 25 also has its upper end slotted for slidably engaging a studbolt 27 carried between the hangers 26 and on which is mounted a bufferspring 28 for taking up shocks imparted to the member 22.

By referring to Fig. 7, it will be noticed that one of the hangers 26that form the plow standard or shank extends through and is rotatablymounted in the aperture 30 formed in the rearwardly extending ear 30" ofa rack bar 30, formed on a casting secured to the upper end of thehanger 26 that passes through the ear 30 is bent over at right angles,hooks over the ear 30 and holds the standard that carries the combinedhoe and skid from sliding down in its bearings. The other, hanger member26 is of greater length than the hanger that passes through the ear 30and the upper end thereof is bent at right angles to form a long lever31, the bend of the said hanger being just below the ear 30 so that thelever 31 engages the 'under side of the said ear 30" and serves to holdthe standard from sliding upwardly in its bearings.

Lever arm 31 is adapted for being swung over for engaging with either ofa pair of notched locking fingers 32 that project rearwardly from eachend of the rack bar 30, see Figs. 1 and 7, by reference to which and toFig. 5, it will be noticed the lower ends of the strap iron hangers 26and the shank member mounted therebetween are held within the arms of abifurcated bracket 33 secured to the cross brace 45 that joins the rearend of the opposite side members of the frame.

By reason of mounting the combined mixer, hoe and skid in the mannershown and described, when the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 1,the lever arm 31 is swung over to engage the notched finger 32, as shownin Fig. 1, and when thus adjusted the member 22 acts as a turning plowfor loosening up the furrow as the machine is moved forwardly whensowing the fertilizer, l.

and when the said member 22 is reversed and held locked to suchposition, (see Fig. 7) by the lever 31 now engaging the notched fingerat the other side of the rack, the rear or coverer disks are lifted fromthe ground and the member 22 bears the weight of the rear end of themachine and acts as a skid when conveying the machine across the field(see Fig. 2).

From the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,the com plete construction, the operation and the advantages of myimproved machine will be readily understood by those skilled in the artto which the said invention relates.

The lever device for operating the slidable gate for controlling thedischarge passages from the hopper, the manner in which the said leveris fulcrumed and the power transmission means generally shown in thedrawings of this application are not herein described in detail, sincethey are fully set out in my co-pending applications above referred toand since they, per 50, form no part of the present invention, as setout in the appended claims. a

What I claim is:

1. In a fertilizer sower, a frame, a ground wheel and cover diskssupporting said frame, a distributing hopper carried by the frame, arotatable standard mounted at the rear of the discharge place of saidhopper, means by which said standard may be rotated, a plow skid carriedby said standard, means for holding said standard to maintain said plowskid in either its plowing or skidding position, substantially as shownand described.

2. In a guano sower, the combination with the distributing hopper havinga discharge outlet and the covering disks, of a standard located betweensaid covering disks and the hopper, means for supporting said standardfor rotative adjustment, a plow skid mounted on said standard andadapted to be held in a plowing position or a skidding positionaccordingly as said standard is in one position of adjustment oranother, means for holding said standard in its positions of adjustment,and means for holding said standard from displacement in the directionof its length.

8. In a guano sower of the character de scribed, the combination withthe framing, a ground wheel and coverer disks respectively mounted atthe front and rear ends of the frame, a hopper located between theground wheel and the coverer disks, and means on the hopper fordischarging the guano therefrom; of a standard rotatably mounted betweenthe hopper and the coverer disks, a curved shoe mounted on the lower endof the standard that serves as a plow when the standard is adjusted toone position, and as a skid for taking up the weight of the rear end ofthe machine when the standard is adjusted reverse to the other mentionedposition.

4. In a guano sower of the character described, the combination with thedistributing hopper including means for discharging the fertilizerthrough the bottom thereof,

the covering disks located to the rear of the hopper and the groundwheel in advance of the said hopper; of a standard located between thecovering disks and the hopper, upper and lower bearings in which thestandard is rotatably. mounted, said standard including a shank, acurved shoe on the lower end of the shank shaped to serve as a plow whenthe standard is turned to one position and as a skid to take up theweight of the rear end of the machine when the standard is turned to areversed position.

5. In a guano sower of the character described, the combination with thedistributing hopper including means for discharging the fertilizerthrough the bottom thereof, the covering disks located to the rear ofthe hopper and the ground wheel in advance of the said hopper; of astandard located between the covering disks and the hopper, upper andlower hearings in which the standard is rotatably mounted, said standardincluding a shank, a curved shoe on the lower end of the shank shaped toserve as a plow when the standard is turned to one position and as askid to take up the weight of the rear end of the machine when thestandard is turned to a reversed position, and means for holding thestandard against vertical movement in its bearings.

6. In a guano sower of the character described, the combination with thedistributing hopper including means for discharging the fertilizerthrough the bottom thereof, the covering disks located to the rear ofthe hopper and the ground wheel in advance of the said hopper; of astandard located between the covering disks-and the hopper, upper andlower hearings in which the standard is rotatably mounted, said standardincluding a shank, a curved shoe on the lower end of the shank shaped toserve as a plow when the standard is turned to one position and as askid to take up the weight of the rear end of the machine when thestandard is turned to a reversed position, the said standard comprisingstrap hangers whose lower ends straddle and are made fast to the plowshank, the upper end of one of the hangers being rotatably held in theaforesaid upper bearing, the upper end of the other hanger being bent atright angles to form a hand lever for turning the standard and means forholding the lever locked to its reversed positions.

7. In a guano sower of the character described, the combination with theframe, the ground wheel and the coverer disks located respectively atthe front and rear ends of the frame, a hopper mounted on the framebetween the ends thereof, and means within the hopper for dischargingthe fertilizer; of a standard rotatably mounted on the rear ofthehopper, said standard comprising a pair of strap iron hangers Whoseupper ends are joined, a shank rockably mounted between the saidhangers, a spring buffer connectionthat joins with the upper end of 1-0skid for taking up the Weight of the rear end of the machine when thestandard is adjusted to another position, hearings on the frame and thehopper in which the standard is mounted, means on the standard forholding it from longitudinal movement in the bearings and other meansfor eiiecting the rotation of the standard and holding it to itsadjusted position.

JAMES R. AYERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

